Virtual exhibition tour, originally broadcast on Facebook Live on April 11, 2023
RAM 14th Annual International PEEPS® Art Exhibition
March 30 – April 15, 2023
at Racine Art Museum
The fourteenth edition of this popular, non-traditional exhibition showcases 142 pieces made from or inspired by colorful marshmallow PEEPS® candy created by 200 artists from around the country.
Curating an exhibition that showcases PEEPS® artwork is somewhat unexpected for a museum. However, the concept of working with unusual materials is supported by RAM’s mission to exhibit, collect, preserve, and educate in the field of contemporary craft—a subsect of art that focuses on handmade work created traditionally from ceramic, fiber, glass, metal, polymer, and wood. Artists consistently push material boundaries, so the idea that they sometimes utilize and experiment with materials produced for purposes other than art-making can be seen throughout RAM’s exhibitions and many works in the museum’s permanent collection—the largest contemporary craft collection in North America.
Over the years, many PEEPS® Art Exhibition entrants have become experts in marshmallow candy as a material, using methods like carving, painting, hole punching, gluing, and melting to manipulate PEEPS® into incredible shapes. While the seasonal candy is still the most common material, the fourteenth-anniversary show also includes pieces made in various other media.
In addition to awards selected by RAM prior to the exhibition opening, museum visitors throughout the 11-day show were invited to vote for their favorite creation—naming one popular artwork worthy of the coveted PEEPles Choice Award. After tallying 2,118 votes, RAM is pleased to announce the 2023 PEEPles Choice Award winner is Peeps Toy Shop by Muskego artist Lynn Proeber.
More About the Exhibition
Virtual Exhibition Tour, available to watch on YouTube and Facebook
Virtual Awards Presentation, available to watch on YouTube and Facebook
Artists in the Exhibition
Appleton: Jason Hurley, Kyla Hurley, Fisher Morrill; Brookfield: Anastasia DeTemple, Paula DeTemple; Brooklyn, NY: Beryl Brenner; Brown Deer: Jean Wells; Burlington: Daniel Weirzchowski; Caledonia: James Colsmith, Marcia Colsmith; Cedarburg: Owen Patneaude, Marcia Patneaude, Tim Patneaude; Chicago, IL: Serena Sacco; Colgate: Kenzie Manske, Alexandros Tsioutsiopoulos, Dionisios Tsioutsiopoulos, Kristina Tsioutsiopoulos, Koko Tsioutsiopoulos; Duncan Falls, OH: Aleigha Busse; Edgerton: Kelly Hausknecht; Evanston, IL: Gina Matthieson; Franklin: Karen Fairbanks; Franksville: Lilly Lamberton, Sally Lamberton, Autumn Madsen, Gary Wee, Katie Wee; Germantown: Ian Leonard, Monica Leonard; Glenview, IL: Renee Elworthy; Greenfield: Glenn Meyers, Gloria Meyers, Leena Meyers, Maria Meyers, St. Jacobi Lutheran School—First Grade Class; Gurnee, IL: Jan Wilinski; Harrison: Nicole Zimmer; Hartland: Debby Peck; Highland Park, IL: Anne Bernard-Pattis; Janesville: Deborah Perrino; Kenosha: Marie Christenson, Meg Conlin, Betsy Davis, Evelyn Ebner, Caroline Johnson, Natalie Johnson, Linda Noggle, Bobbie Poppie, Courtnie Poppie, Karen Stanlaw, Mel Westmeyer, Alison Wojahn; Lake Forest, IL: Patricia Colby Gulbranson; Libertyville, IL: Suzanne Neumann; Lindenhurst, IL: Meg Gruchot, Toby Gruchot; Lisbon: Leah R. Docea; Mequon: Ben Bissegger; Milwaukee: Cookie Anderson, Jean Berens, Cydney Buford, Deb Dakich, James Davis, Elm Creative Arts School Grade 4 Mrs. Deberry Art Class (Autumn Hannah, Kimorah Love, Trinity Flowers, and Therese Kroll), Marie-Therese Garvey, Burton J. Gross, Bridget King, Betsy Kinkema, Korinthia Klein, Andrew Konitzer, Kathryn O’Keefe, JoAnna Poehlmann, Julie Serbiak, St. Matthias 6th Grade Boys, St. Matthias 6th Grade Girls, Cremona Weisser, Quinn Weisser; Mount Pleasant: Diane Arndt-Kamm, Isabella Aviles, Emma Jarrett, Jenny Jarrett, Rebecca McGowan, Ann Richards, Emma Widmar; Mukwonago: Rain Beau Fam; Muskego: Chris Proeber, Emily Proeber, Lynn Proeber; Oak Creek: Jae Magaña, Renzo Magaña, Sarah Magaña, Betsy Moore, Skipper Versace; Racine: Hanneke Abels, Kate Alphs, Susan Buhler, Ann Burke, Caden Burke, Leslie Carver, The Dancing Queens, Estrella Davis-Hicks, Kylie DeBerg, Jenni Determan, Morgan Determan, Tom Determan, Lauren Dwyer, Lennyn Farrel, Mylee Farrell, Ava Gonzalez, Laura Grayson, Eleanor Hamilton, Charlotte Horton, Brittney Johnson, Stephanie Lazzeroni, Lucia Macfarlane, Rosie Macfarlane, Yvonne Mayer, Mason Nichols, Sharon Nyman, Holly Ottum, Amanda Cosgrove Paffrath, Leslie Perrino, Lisa Peters, Cat Pond, Bill Reid, Sophia Repa-Krolikowski, Marie Roosa, Noella Schnick, Henry Schoonover, Renee Seaman, Kathy Simon, Alonna Straka, Nolan Straka, Bowie Thompson, Jack Thompson, Jamine White, Katie White, Moriah Gomez White, Marc Wollman; Rochester, NY: Laura Spath; Silver Lake: Baird Family; Spring Prairie: Veronica Gagliano Averkamp; Union Grove: Get-Away Weekend (Jean Urry, Mary Avery, Marcia Pockat, Patti Sherman-Cisler, and Peggy Dunst); Verona: Anna Christensen; Waukesha: Cathee Boeder, Sara Serchen, Chris Trokantenorio, Adam Voisin; Wauwatosa: Cruz’s Crew (Antonio Cruz, Dain Maddox, John Neumann, and Carmen Pangilinan), Laura Leech, Annetta Siercks, Liz Siercks, Tom Spolar, Laurie Stephan, Jeff Ternes; West Allis: Grayson Buettner; Whitewater: Emmett Bughman, Liam Bughman, Mary Bughman, Rowan Bughman; Wilmette, IL: Bill Sullivan, Liam Sullivan, Liz Sullivan; Wind Lake: Losers Car Club of Wisconsin; Wind Point: Heidi Perez, Meg Richardson
RAM 14th Annual International PEEPS® Art Exhibition
March 30 – April 15, 2023
at Racine Art Museum
Virtual exhibition tour, originally broadcast on Facebook Live on April 11, 2023
The fourteenth edition of this popular, non-traditional exhibition showcases 142 pieces made from or inspired by colorful marshmallow PEEPS® candy created by 200 artists from around the country.
Curating an exhibition that showcases PEEPS® artwork is somewhat unexpected for a museum. However, the concept of working with unusual materials is supported by RAM’s mission to exhibit, collect, preserve, and educate in the field of contemporary craft—a subsect of art that focuses on handmade work created traditionally from ceramic, fiber, glass, metal, polymer, and wood. Artists consistently push material boundaries, so the idea that they sometimes utilize and experiment with materials produced for purposes other than art-making can be seen throughout RAM’s exhibitions and many works in the museum’s permanent collection—the largest contemporary craft collection in North America.
Over the years, many PEEPS® Art Exhibition entrants have become experts in marshmallow candy as a material, using methods like carving, painting, hole punching, gluing, and melting to manipulate PEEPS® into incredible shapes. While the seasonal candy is still the most common material, the fourteenth-anniversary show also includes pieces made in various other media.
In addition to awards selected by RAM prior to the exhibition opening, museum visitors throughout the 11-day show were invited to vote for their favorite creation—naming one popular artwork worthy of the coveted PEEPles Choice Award. After tallying 2,118 votes, RAM is pleased to announce the 2023 PEEPles Choice Award winner is Peeps Toy Shop by Muskego artist Lynn Proeber.
More About the Exhibition
Virtual Exhibition Tour, available to watch on YouTube and Facebook
Virtual Awards Presentation, available to watch on YouTube and Facebook
Artists in the Exhibition
Appleton: Jason Hurley, Kyla Hurley, Fisher Morrill; Brookfield: Anastasia DeTemple, Paula DeTemple; Brooklyn, NY: Beryl Brenner; Brown Deer: Jean Wells; Burlington: Daniel Weirzchowski; Caledonia: James Colsmith, Marcia Colsmith; Cedarburg: Owen Patneaude, Marcia Patneaude, Tim Patneaude; Chicago, IL: Serena Sacco; Colgate: Kenzie Manske, Alexandros Tsioutsiopoulos, Dionisios Tsioutsiopoulos, Kristina Tsioutsiopoulos, Koko Tsioutsiopoulos; Duncan Falls, OH: Aleigha Busse; Edgerton: Kelly Hausknecht; Evanston, IL: Gina Matthieson; Franklin: Karen Fairbanks; Franksville: Lilly Lamberton, Sally Lamberton, Autumn Madsen, Gary Wee, Katie Wee; Germantown: Ian Leonard, Monica Leonard; Glenview, IL: Renee Elworthy; Greenfield: Glenn Meyers, Gloria Meyers, Leena Meyers, Maria Meyers, St. Jacobi Lutheran School—First Grade Class; Gurnee, IL: Jan Wilinski; Harrison: Nicole Zimmer; Hartland: Debby Peck; Highland Park, IL: Anne Bernard-Pattis; Janesville: Deborah Perrino; Kenosha: Marie Christenson, Meg Conlin, Betsy Davis, Evelyn Ebner, Caroline Johnson, Natalie Johnson, Linda Noggle, Bobbie Poppie, Courtnie Poppie, Karen Stanlaw, Mel Westmeyer, Alison Wojahn; Lake Forest, IL: Patricia Colby Gulbranson; Libertyville, IL: Suzanne Neumann; Lindenhurst, IL: Meg Gruchot, Toby Gruchot; Lisbon: Leah R. Docea; Mequon: Ben Bissegger; Milwaukee: Cookie Anderson, Jean Berens, Cydney Buford, Deb Dakich, James Davis, Elm Creative Arts School Grade 4 Mrs. Deberry Art Class (Autumn Hannah, Kimorah Love, Trinity Flowers, and Therese Kroll), Marie-Therese Garvey, Burton J. Gross, Bridget King, Betsy Kinkema, Korinthia Klein, Andrew Konitzer, Kathryn O’Keefe, JoAnna Poehlmann, Julie Serbiak, St. Matthias 6th Grade Boys, St. Matthias 6th Grade Girls, Cremona Weisser, Quinn Weisser; Mount Pleasant: Diane Arndt-Kamm, Isabella Aviles, Emma Jarrett, Jenny Jarrett, Rebecca McGowan, Ann Richards, Emma Widmar; Mukwonago: Rain Beau Fam; Muskego: Chris Proeber, Emily Proeber, Lynn Proeber; Oak Creek: Jae Magaña, Renzo Magaña, Sarah Magaña, Betsy Moore, Skipper Versace; Racine: Hanneke Abels, Kate Alphs, Susan Buhler, Ann Burke, Caden Burke, Leslie Carver, The Dancing Queens, Estrella Davis-Hicks, Kylie DeBerg, Jenni Determan, Morgan Determan, Tom Determan, Lauren Dwyer, Lennyn Farrel, Mylee Farrell, Ava Gonzalez, Laura Grayson, Eleanor Hamilton, Charlotte Horton, Brittney Johnson, Stephanie Lazzeroni, Lucia Macfarlane, Rosie Macfarlane, Yvonne Mayer, Mason Nichols, Sharon Nyman, Holly Ottum, Amanda Cosgrove Paffrath, Leslie Perrino, Lisa Peters, Cat Pond, Bill Reid, Sophia Repa-Krolikowski, Marie Roosa, Noella Schnick, Henry Schoonover, Renee Seaman, Kathy Simon, Alonna Straka, Nolan Straka, Bowie Thompson, Jack Thompson, Jamine White, Katie White, Moriah Gomez White, Marc Wollman; Rochester, NY: Laura Spath; Silver Lake: Baird Family; Spring Prairie: Veronica Gagliano Averkamp; Union Grove: Get-Away Weekend (Jean Urry, Mary Avery, Marcia Pockat, Patti Sherman-Cisler, and Peggy Dunst); Verona: Anna Christensen; Waukesha: Cathee Boeder, Sara Serchen, Chris Trokantenorio, Adam Voisin; Wauwatosa: Cruz’s Crew (Antonio Cruz, Dain Maddox, John Neumann, and Carmen Pangilinan), Laura Leech, Annetta Siercks, Liz Siercks, Tom Spolar, Laurie Stephan, Jeff Ternes; West Allis: Grayson Buettner; Whitewater: Emmett Bughman, Liam Bughman, Mary Bughman, Rowan Bughman; Wilmette, IL: Bill Sullivan, Liam Sullivan, Liz Sullivan; Wind Lake: Losers Car Club of Wisconsin; Wind Point: Heidi Perez, Meg Richardson
Awards
PEEPles Choice Award
Lynn Proeber, Peeps Toy Shop
Adult Division
First Peep
Jean Wells, Steep and Peep
Second Peep
Debby Peck, Octopeep
Third Peep
Susan Buhler, The Dawn of Peep
Honorable Peep Mentions
Betsy Kinkema, Peeponardo Da Vinci
Veronica Gagliano Averkamp, Peep Lily
Korinthia Klein, The Picture of Dorian Peep
Alison Wojahn, Peep Kong
Young Peeples Division (Under 13)
First Peep
Jack Thompson, The Great Barrier Peep
Second Peep
Isabella Aviles, Snappy the Shark
Third Peep
Marie Roosa, American Peep
Group Division
First Peep
Andrew Konitzer and Kathryn O’Keefe, The Library of Banned Books
Second Peep
Stephanie Lazzeroni and Henry Schoonover, Captain Peepmo and Ned Fight the Giant Squid
Third Peep
Bobbie and Courtnie Poppie, Spider Peep Stops the Train
RAM Postcard Award
Holly Ottum, If Peeps Could Fly
Mayor of Racine’s Choice Award
Yvonne Mayer, Vincent Van Peep and the Morning Star
Examples of Work in the Exhibition
Click/tap an image for more information
The RAM 14th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition is made possible in part at Racine Art Museum by:
Peeps Patrons
Action Law Offices, S.C.
Art Metals Studio
Buckets Pub, Inc.
Charles H. Constantine
Evelyn’s Club Main
Mark and Karen Fairbanks
Tom and Cheryl Foley
Ann Henkes
Laura Kapitan
Kewpee
Cherie Lyford
Katie Martinson
Northern Lights Gallery
Carol Preston
Kathy Simon
Mark Thomas
James and Karen Walker
Jim and Cherry Wardrip
Nancy E. Wheeler
Peeps Prize Providers
City of Racine Mayor’s Office
Lisa Englander
Hot Shop Glass
Exhibitions at RAM are made possible by:
Platinum Sponsors
The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd
David Charak
Judith and David Flegel Fund
Ron and Judith Isaacs
Barbara Waldman
Windgate Foundation
Diamond Sponsors
Ruffo Family Foundation
Ruth Arts Foundation
Gold Sponsors
Anonymous
Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation
Reliance Controls Community Fund
Trio Foundation of St. Louis
W.T. Walker Group, Inc.
Silver Sponsors
Anonymous
Baird
Beta Diagnostic Labs
A.C. Buhler Family
Ben and Dawn Flegel
Friends of Fiber, International
Sharon and Tom Harty
Horizon Retail Construction, Inc.
Johnson Financial Group
Dorothy MacVicar
Jan Serr and John Shannon
Bronze Sponsors
Dave’s Wine Garage
Educators Credit Union
Express Employment Professionals
Lucy G. Feller
Bill and Debbie Keland
Susan Manalli
Norbell Foundation
JoAnna Poehlman
Twin Disc